Sleeping Pills
by MaddyLovesL
Summary: Even the birds in this perfect, beautiful dome world, even they, were chained to the perfect sky. The day Neji fell asleep... And nearly didn't wake up. ShikaNeji.


Neji was dying. Or at least that was what the Hokage had told Hiashi.

That was what had made the world, his world, Shikamaru's world, come crashing down cruelly upon his shoulders.

*

_ Beep._

_ Beep._

_ Beep._

Silence.

_Beep._

_ '_What was that noise?' It was annoying, yet... It was chilling. It sent shivers down Neji's spine.

God, his head was hurting. What was that sound?! Breathing... A breathing machine. Shut up. Shut up. Shut _up_.

Neji opened his eyes. He lay flat on his back, in a perfect bubble world. A perfect, perfect, untouched bubble world. He could clearly see the dome which kept him safe right above his head. The sky. The sky was so bright. The birds. So many birds. So many birds.

Neji slowly lifted himself off the ground.

His head thumped painfully.

So painful.

The sun, a red sun was sinking slowly in the perfect blue sky. The sky was blood stained. Flooded with blood.

A shrill cry echoed around his perfect dome. Another shrill cry.

It sounded terrified.

An unpleasant shiver was sent rolling down Neji's spine.

He headed towards the source. Oh god his head. And that beeping. And that breathing.

A cage.

In front of him Neji saw a cage.

It was a beautiful cage. Inside it, sat a rather tragic looking bird.

It cried out to him again.

Poor creature. Trapped in their when this perfect bubble world lay right outside on his doorstep.

Hesitantly Neji opened the cage. he bird hopped in to the palm of his hand.

Yet even as it tried to fly... It wings flapped uselessly. No flying for this bird. It cried out again. A shrill pitiful, cry.

And Neji watched in horror as the bird's wings snapped.

Even more terrible, blood curdling cries. Yet the cries sound empty, so totally empty. So totally sad. So tragic.

The bird's eye were so wide. So wide with fear. So big. So deep.

_Beep._

_ Beep._

_ Beep._

_Pop! The bird's eye rolled down its face._

Blood stained the once perfect, pearly feathers.

Neji dropped the helpless creature.

He ran.

Ran as hard and as fast as he could.

A forest. An ominous orange like glow. Neji's heart was racing. Racing. Racing. It was as if, right now in what Neji was sure his dying moment, his heart wanted to betray him, wanted to beat all the more louder, as if to remind him he was alive. Wanted to make the target easier. How cruel.

The forest seemed to roar in triumph. Neji was so, so scared.

Even more scared than he had been when he had seen the bird. He was petrified. Petrified.

The terror. It was terror. Pure undiluted terror. He knew that the forest.. The forest would kill him. And his perfect bubble world... It sealed him off from any help. Any escape. The birds in his bubble world were all chained to the sky.

And then... Out of the forest their emerged a stag.

Majestic antlers. Big brown eyes.

Neji knew those eyes. He had always known those eyes.

They were the eyes that wept when he failed to protect his team mates. They were they eyes that had grown accustomed to cloud gazing, and deflecting sun rays. They were the eyes that had watched Neji every morning since he had fallen in love. Those were the eyes Neji saw every night before he went to sleep and every morning when he got up. They were Shikamaru's eyes. A genius' eyes.

They were they eyes Neji really did love.

Gingerly Neji approached the stag. It bowed it's head.

Neji gently reacher to touch the stag's head. Such big eyes... Such big eyes...

_ Beep._

_ A ragged breath._

_ Beep._

_ Beep. _

_ Beep._

_ Beep._

_ "Neji?"_

His chest hurt.

Blurs.

Movements.

Splodges of colours.

_Beep._

_ Beep._

_ Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep._

_ "_NEJI!!!"

A face. Shikamaru's concerned face leaning over him.

"Shh, Neji, shh, it's alright. Shh." Thumbs were running over his face, drawing circles in a soothing motion.

"Just a dream... Just a dream..."

Shikamaru's breath. Shikamaru's rough hands. Shikamaru.

"It's fine. You're Okay... Just take it easy."

"N-Neji-kun?" Hinata's voice.

"Neji! Thank god!" Hiashi... The look-alike father.

"It's... it's... It's a miracle! That boy has some stamina!" Tsunade.

The dome world was a vague memory.

It was fine. He was free. Freer than the birds cage in the perfect dome world. He was free. He was alive.

Chapped lips were pressed very softly to his forehead.

He was loved.

Neji Hyuuga, was soaring.

**AN: Ahem. Isn't it funny how much you dream in comas? =)**


End file.
